Let the games begin! With less than three weeks until the start of NBA free agency, and less than two until the 2025 NBA draft, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Wednesday that Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns had met several times to sift through possible trade scenarios, with the discussions primarily centering around the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves, sources told ESPN.
Several wild-card teams are still in the mix, sources said.
With that, we asked five NBA insiders (Chris Herring, Zach Kram, Dave McMenamin, Kevin Pelton and André Snellings) to propose realistic trades for the two-time Finals MVP, then had front office insider Bobby Marks evaluate the deals and pick the best offer, based on the directions Phoenix could choose as the franchise looks to reshape its expensive, underperforming and top-heavy roster.
Durant is set to enter the last year of a four-year, $198 million extension he signed in Brooklyn. And while he does not have a no-trade clause like Suns teammate Bradley Beal, Durant holds leverage on where his next home will be.
«I want my career to end on my terms, that's the only thing,» Durant said on «The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis» last month. «That's the only thing I'm worried about. Because I see a lot of dudes that don't get that opportunity, so I want to keep putting in that work to make that choice on my own.»
Two factors will play a role if a trade materializes. The first: Is Durant willing to sign a two-year, $112 million extension with the team trading for him? And because Durant can be a free agent in 2026, it is unlikely a team trades draft capital and players for a one-year rental. The free agent landscape of teams with
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